The need for high speed signal processing is currently driven by the increase in communication speeds. High speed differential voltage signals are often used in communication systems. Receiving devices, therefore, need to be able to monitor and process the differential voltage signals. To minimize the constraints on the communication system, the voltage signal peak-to-peak voltage range is often allowed to vary. Thus, the receiver circuit needs to be adapted to process input voltage signals that have a wide range of peak voltages.
Internal circuitry of the receiver, however, often operates more efficiently if the voltage signals are maintained within a smaller peak-to-peak range. One approach to processing input voltage signals is to clamp the input signals within predetermined voltage levels. This approach is undesirable because it alters the profile of the input signals. Other processing techniques that are not balanced also change the profile of incoming differential voltage signals.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for circuitry that adjusts differential voltage signals using a balanced peak detector circuit.